Today's readings: February 28, 2009
Reading One: Jer 11:18-20 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12 ;
Gospel : Jn 7:40-53 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)
This post was written yesterday, but scheduled to post shortly after midnight, as I have a busy morning on Saturday and wanted to have the readings available as soon as possible. My morning is filled with so many blessings - adoration in wee hours of the morning with some faithful brothers of my parish, followed by a light meal, or just some coffee (who knows, but I bet I might be a little hungry tomorrow morning) at Bob Evans. I have no idea who started this, it such a blessing to spend some quiet time with a bunch of terrific gentlemen from our church each Saturday and I am very thankful for your companionship and support. The time has allowed me to get to know you better and bask in the joy of our shared faith and love of God.
After that, I will race home to feed my birds and prepare for benediction and daily mass. It will be so good to see my friends again and share the joy of celebrating mass. After that, I am thrilled to spend a little time with my oldest daughter and enjoy a lacrosse game with the son of my wonderful neighbors, The Ruts.
In case you missed the post from yesterday with some pictures, by all means, check it out.
Showing posts with label adoration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adoration. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Day Three of Lent
Today's readings: February 27, 2009
Reading One: Wis 2:1a, 12-22 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 ;
Gospel : Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
I had a wonderful day in the mountains of Asheville, NC yesterday and today, though poor old Charlie my dog was less than thrilled to come along for the ride. Poor dog, he's really old, especially for such a big dog. It took all his effort to just hop in and out of the SUV as we drove from Franklin to Asheville. I tried to do some blogging, but the net teather to my laptop was so lame, it was hopeless. No worry really, but I regret that it posted a garbled post, that I waited and waited to finish, before I just gave up - hence, the garbled post. Oh well, live and learn.
Here's a page with some pictures of my wonderful day at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Franklin, N.C. and a few taken before the trip began. I included a pic of Brad, my tech angel who helped me learn as much about mobile computing in the few short hours I had before the clock ran out. And also a blurry pic (sorry) of the wonderful gift from Kim & Goose, a miraculous medal blessed by Mother Teresa to take with me on the trip, or give away. I chose to give it up to the prayer group at St Marks, with instructions to keep it a day, and pass it on to someone else in the group. It was so hard to give it up, and I suspect it will be just as difficult to each one who gets to have it for a day. And to ask for Mother Teresa to intercede on our behalf, asking Jesus to help us all on our journey through life, and to accept joyfully whatever God's will might be.
Yesterday was a very eventful day. Early in the day, I read a wonderful sentence that stayed with me all day yesterday and today as well. The words were from Pope Leo the Great.
Time to hit the road... But where? I was planning to go to St. Joseph's but that got altered as I followed another course. Asheville! When I arrived at Asheville, the first stop was St. Lawrence Basilica - wow! what a beautiful church. How happy I was to find a little alcove with the Blessed Sacrament to the right of the altar. Very beneficial time was spent in the company of Jesus, present in the quiet reflection of adoration, and I read some wonderful words in the many books there to assist in the quiet time.
Poor Charlie the dog, was in the car with windows rolled down, while I was in the alcove. When I arrived at St. Lawrence, I was only planning to take in a quick tour of the church, so I could find my way easily on Friday morning for daily mass at 7:30 am. But this plan was sidetracked by the chance to spend time in adoration. Anyway... that's my excuse for forgetting that I had my cell phone still on, and indeed it is the truth, though I certainly should have remembered to turn it off before I went in the church. Ooops. I got a call, followed by another call from my lovely daughter, and I was concerned it was something I needed to attend to. So I left the alcove and went to see what my sweet daughter needed, and returned the unanswered calls outside the church. I spoke to her briefly, all was well, and checked in on old Charlie the dog, who was not doing well at all. All the hours on the road had taken its toll, and I poured him a cup of water which he gobbled up quickly. Oh NO! No water left in the bottle, & I realized he really needed some more water badly, and went to go get him some. Unfortunately, the church did not have any bathrooms - or least there were not any I could find. I checked in the gift shop, but they had also left for the day, or for lunch. There was no one to ask... where is some water? As I said, old Charlie is really old and I knew he needed some water, and he needed it right now!
There was some water available, but it was Holy Water, one of those big containers with the spout that fills the small dish below. I did not know what to do, and perhaps I panicked, but I remembered the story of how David fed his soldiers that he loved with bread that was forbidden to all, except the priests. But David felt he had no choice, as his men were starving. So I asked God to please forgive me, but I felt I had to do something that was ill advised, because my poor dog really needed a cool drink. And I filled a cup for him with Holy Water, which he received with such joy it is hard to describe. Having been around many folks in the church, I also surmised that to many - this was not a problem at all. While to others, it might be deemed a terrible sin and disrespectful. My heart felt I had no choice, I looked and looked for water, but there was none, and honestly felt it was a life and death matter with a wonderful companion who offered me nothing but a sweet and gentle love. I think both sides are correct too. It was disrespectful, but I also was stuck in a position where I felt it was my only choice. May God have mercy on me, and search my heart for my true intentions. I didn't know what to do. I was lost.
The experience reminded me of something I learned on my faith journey in life. Basically - that God is so big, we must seek Him in everything, and in everyone. Often two views, seemingly in opposition are both partially right, and both partially wrong. I have often wondered about this, as the Gospel is so full of ambiguity and conflicting opinions, yet both sides have Divine merit and truth, even while it might seem on the face of it, that only one view can be correct. I was reminded of my days sculpting in college, about how you needed to always walk around the piece you were working on, and constantly chisel away from all sides and angles. If you only worked on one area, it made the sculpture a real mess. And if you are working on a subtractive work (chisels and removing material, as opposed to clay works, which are additive, meaning it is easy to just stick on more clay where you got a little aggressive on removing clay) - you really needed to move around the sculpture, and take it in from all sides. I think it is also this way with drawing closer to God - you need to listen intently to views that differ from your own, and take it in with the utmost consideration. If you only allow your own views to be accepted, the piece of work - you, gets all messed up.
I was very thankful to remember that some dear friends from college lived in Asheville, and I decided to give them a call to say hello and ask in all humility, if they might be so kind as to offer me and Charlie a place sleep and rest our weary bones. Their kindness and generosity made it easy to see how God was with me this day, as I received a wonderful Indian meal, and a bed to sleep on. Charlie was thrilled to sleep outside under a covered porch, and the next morning he had such a spring in his step, there was little doubt he was feeling much better after a hard day. We enjoyed a quick cup of coffee, and I was off again to St. Lawrence for mass, followed by some more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. What a wonderful way to begin the day. As I left the alcove, a gentle woman reached out to grab my hand and wish me well, reminding me what a lucky man I was to begin my day this way. The words were so kind and offered with such sweetness, it only added to the amazing experience of adoration. God is great!
Please pray for Charlotte, Peter, Amelia, Louise, Florence, Stewart, and Morgan - who are all suffering from various forms of illness. And please pray for me, if you are reading this post, it is pretty clear I am at times a man in great need of all your prayers. Thank you, and may God bless you, keep you safe, and make your joy complete.
Reading One: Wis 2:1a, 12-22 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 ;
Gospel : Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
I had a wonderful day in the mountains of Asheville, NC yesterday and today, though poor old Charlie my dog was less than thrilled to come along for the ride. Poor dog, he's really old, especially for such a big dog. It took all his effort to just hop in and out of the SUV as we drove from Franklin to Asheville. I tried to do some blogging, but the net teather to my laptop was so lame, it was hopeless. No worry really, but I regret that it posted a garbled post, that I waited and waited to finish, before I just gave up - hence, the garbled post. Oh well, live and learn.
Here's a page with some pictures of my wonderful day at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Franklin, N.C. and a few taken before the trip began. I included a pic of Brad, my tech angel who helped me learn as much about mobile computing in the few short hours I had before the clock ran out. And also a blurry pic (sorry) of the wonderful gift from Kim & Goose, a miraculous medal blessed by Mother Teresa to take with me on the trip, or give away. I chose to give it up to the prayer group at St Marks, with instructions to keep it a day, and pass it on to someone else in the group. It was so hard to give it up, and I suspect it will be just as difficult to each one who gets to have it for a day. And to ask for Mother Teresa to intercede on our behalf, asking Jesus to help us all on our journey through life, and to accept joyfully whatever God's will might be.
Yesterday was a very eventful day. Early in the day, I read a wonderful sentence that stayed with me all day yesterday and today as well. The words were from Pope Leo the Great.
Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts.This was followed by mass with Father Tien and the delightful folks at St. Francis of Assisi. After mass, I spoke briefly to Father Tien and asked if he needed to have any work done, which he assured me all was just fine, so I suggested that I clean up the entrance to the church, which was littered with stray cigarette butts and some chewing gum stuck to the concrete. He offered some wise words, effectively telling me that if I was doing this him, there was no need - but if it was for a sacrifice for God, by all means, do it. In so many ways, it such a blessing, and I was filled with the grace that only comes from God, and filled up a bag with litter, scratched the gum off the cement with a stick, and just whistled my way through a task that was very easy, a burden so light it made my heart happy. I was also motivated by all the kind words from the people at St. Francis, the true church we are all part of, in the joy we share in our love of Christ.
Time to hit the road... But where? I was planning to go to St. Joseph's but that got altered as I followed another course. Asheville! When I arrived at Asheville, the first stop was St. Lawrence Basilica - wow! what a beautiful church. How happy I was to find a little alcove with the Blessed Sacrament to the right of the altar. Very beneficial time was spent in the company of Jesus, present in the quiet reflection of adoration, and I read some wonderful words in the many books there to assist in the quiet time.
Poor Charlie the dog, was in the car with windows rolled down, while I was in the alcove. When I arrived at St. Lawrence, I was only planning to take in a quick tour of the church, so I could find my way easily on Friday morning for daily mass at 7:30 am. But this plan was sidetracked by the chance to spend time in adoration. Anyway... that's my excuse for forgetting that I had my cell phone still on, and indeed it is the truth, though I certainly should have remembered to turn it off before I went in the church. Ooops. I got a call, followed by another call from my lovely daughter, and I was concerned it was something I needed to attend to. So I left the alcove and went to see what my sweet daughter needed, and returned the unanswered calls outside the church. I spoke to her briefly, all was well, and checked in on old Charlie the dog, who was not doing well at all. All the hours on the road had taken its toll, and I poured him a cup of water which he gobbled up quickly. Oh NO! No water left in the bottle, & I realized he really needed some more water badly, and went to go get him some. Unfortunately, the church did not have any bathrooms - or least there were not any I could find. I checked in the gift shop, but they had also left for the day, or for lunch. There was no one to ask... where is some water? As I said, old Charlie is really old and I knew he needed some water, and he needed it right now!
There was some water available, but it was Holy Water, one of those big containers with the spout that fills the small dish below. I did not know what to do, and perhaps I panicked, but I remembered the story of how David fed his soldiers that he loved with bread that was forbidden to all, except the priests. But David felt he had no choice, as his men were starving. So I asked God to please forgive me, but I felt I had to do something that was ill advised, because my poor dog really needed a cool drink. And I filled a cup for him with Holy Water, which he received with such joy it is hard to describe. Having been around many folks in the church, I also surmised that to many - this was not a problem at all. While to others, it might be deemed a terrible sin and disrespectful. My heart felt I had no choice, I looked and looked for water, but there was none, and honestly felt it was a life and death matter with a wonderful companion who offered me nothing but a sweet and gentle love. I think both sides are correct too. It was disrespectful, but I also was stuck in a position where I felt it was my only choice. May God have mercy on me, and search my heart for my true intentions. I didn't know what to do. I was lost.
The experience reminded me of something I learned on my faith journey in life. Basically - that God is so big, we must seek Him in everything, and in everyone. Often two views, seemingly in opposition are both partially right, and both partially wrong. I have often wondered about this, as the Gospel is so full of ambiguity and conflicting opinions, yet both sides have Divine merit and truth, even while it might seem on the face of it, that only one view can be correct. I was reminded of my days sculpting in college, about how you needed to always walk around the piece you were working on, and constantly chisel away from all sides and angles. If you only worked on one area, it made the sculpture a real mess. And if you are working on a subtractive work (chisels and removing material, as opposed to clay works, which are additive, meaning it is easy to just stick on more clay where you got a little aggressive on removing clay) - you really needed to move around the sculpture, and take it in from all sides. I think it is also this way with drawing closer to God - you need to listen intently to views that differ from your own, and take it in with the utmost consideration. If you only allow your own views to be accepted, the piece of work - you, gets all messed up.
I was very thankful to remember that some dear friends from college lived in Asheville, and I decided to give them a call to say hello and ask in all humility, if they might be so kind as to offer me and Charlie a place sleep and rest our weary bones. Their kindness and generosity made it easy to see how God was with me this day, as I received a wonderful Indian meal, and a bed to sleep on. Charlie was thrilled to sleep outside under a covered porch, and the next morning he had such a spring in his step, there was little doubt he was feeling much better after a hard day. We enjoyed a quick cup of coffee, and I was off again to St. Lawrence for mass, followed by some more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. What a wonderful way to begin the day. As I left the alcove, a gentle woman reached out to grab my hand and wish me well, reminding me what a lucky man I was to begin my day this way. The words were so kind and offered with such sweetness, it only added to the amazing experience of adoration. God is great!
Please pray for Charlotte, Peter, Amelia, Louise, Florence, Stewart, and Morgan - who are all suffering from various forms of illness. And please pray for me, if you are reading this post, it is pretty clear I am at times a man in great need of all your prayers. Thank you, and may God bless you, keep you safe, and make your joy complete.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Day Two of Lent
Today's readings: February 26, 2009
Reading One: 30:15-20 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 ;
Gospel : Luke 9:25-29 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
My ride to Franklin, NC was wonderful. For about an hour while driving through the mountains, beams of light cut through the clouds, that looked like the ribs of a fan. These beams stretched from the north side of my view all the way to the south, with the sun at the center. The view was even more extreme due to my polarized sunglasses, that softened the brightness of the sun and made it much easier to see, though it was still viewable to the naked eye. The rolling mountains of western North Carolina were a perfect background. And in one of those wonderful Holy Spirit moments, a song on the radio had lyrics that said something like that the heavens shined with your Glory and that the mountains were joyfully proclaiming your praise. It was all that and then some. What an amazing world we live in, if we just open our eyes. I was so thankful to be alive and living in this paradise.
The people I met on the road were also such a treat. So many smiles, people sharing stories with each other, a mother chiding her son in church, and lots of laughter, much of it gently poking fun at each other. little tweaks offered in kindness and love, the edge of being bitter not part of the equation. My favorite example came a few minutes ago, when the lady serving up coffee inside McDonalds yelled at a guy leaving the door... I Said (she said this quite loudly, it was funny)... Have a nice day. The sleepy fellow leaving had no option left, but to smile and return a quiet laugh.
Last night was spent sleeping in the back of the SUV, since it was very cold outside, in the low 30s - so I thought it best to sleep in the back in case it got too cold. As it turned out, I had a great nights sleep and was quite comfortable. But before I went to bed, I did get a little worried about what some other folks might be thinking, concerned someone might call the police and tell them some crazy guy was sleeping in the parking lot. I imagined waking up in the middle of the night, with flashlights shining in the window, and a loud knock from the police wanting to rouse a man trying to stay warm and get some sleep. My concerns were unfounded, but I'll admit there was some consternation and worry. My night prayers were very helpful in assuaging those concerns and I fell asleep in just a few minutes.
This morning has been excellent. I took a short walk with my dog, and we were greeted by a little rabbit that we disturbed from its sleep. It scampered off in a hurry, and though my dog saw him, he didn't give chase, saying in dog language... hey, I'm too old for that, I just don't feel like chasing it now. He was happy to get his breakfast and I had a good laugh, as I realized in the morning light, that the parking lot I selected to sleep in, was adjacent to the police station and the ems. How funny life is sometimes. No wonder I was concerned about getting rousted by the police.
Off to mass at Saint Francis of Assisi. I am blessed to have an hour or more to quietly offer my prayers to such a wonderful and gracious God. I have no idea what today will bring. I am planning to ask Father Tien after mass if he has any chores he might like me to do. But I have no idea if he will accept my offer. Whatever happens, I find myself feeling great, knowing God is with me.
Reading One: 30:15-20 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 ;
Gospel : Luke 9:25-29 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
My ride to Franklin, NC was wonderful. For about an hour while driving through the mountains, beams of light cut through the clouds, that looked like the ribs of a fan. These beams stretched from the north side of my view all the way to the south, with the sun at the center. The view was even more extreme due to my polarized sunglasses, that softened the brightness of the sun and made it much easier to see, though it was still viewable to the naked eye. The rolling mountains of western North Carolina were a perfect background. And in one of those wonderful Holy Spirit moments, a song on the radio had lyrics that said something like that the heavens shined with your Glory and that the mountains were joyfully proclaiming your praise. It was all that and then some. What an amazing world we live in, if we just open our eyes. I was so thankful to be alive and living in this paradise.
The people I met on the road were also such a treat. So many smiles, people sharing stories with each other, a mother chiding her son in church, and lots of laughter, much of it gently poking fun at each other. little tweaks offered in kindness and love, the edge of being bitter not part of the equation. My favorite example came a few minutes ago, when the lady serving up coffee inside McDonalds yelled at a guy leaving the door... I Said (she said this quite loudly, it was funny)... Have a nice day. The sleepy fellow leaving had no option left, but to smile and return a quiet laugh.
Last night was spent sleeping in the back of the SUV, since it was very cold outside, in the low 30s - so I thought it best to sleep in the back in case it got too cold. As it turned out, I had a great nights sleep and was quite comfortable. But before I went to bed, I did get a little worried about what some other folks might be thinking, concerned someone might call the police and tell them some crazy guy was sleeping in the parking lot. I imagined waking up in the middle of the night, with flashlights shining in the window, and a loud knock from the police wanting to rouse a man trying to stay warm and get some sleep. My concerns were unfounded, but I'll admit there was some consternation and worry. My night prayers were very helpful in assuaging those concerns and I fell asleep in just a few minutes.
This morning has been excellent. I took a short walk with my dog, and we were greeted by a little rabbit that we disturbed from its sleep. It scampered off in a hurry, and though my dog saw him, he didn't give chase, saying in dog language... hey, I'm too old for that, I just don't feel like chasing it now. He was happy to get his breakfast and I had a good laugh, as I realized in the morning light, that the parking lot I selected to sleep in, was adjacent to the police station and the ems. How funny life is sometimes. No wonder I was concerned about getting rousted by the police.
Off to mass at Saint Francis of Assisi. I am blessed to have an hour or more to quietly offer my prayers to such a wonderful and gracious God. I have no idea what today will bring. I am planning to ask Father Tien after mass if he has any chores he might like me to do. But I have no idea if he will accept my offer. Whatever happens, I find myself feeling great, knowing God is with me.
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